In the field of sports apparatus for children especially for practicing sports, utilizing a thrown, batted, or kicked ball, and developing skills in such sports, and which can be employed in the user's backyard or on a playground, there are numerous devices, such as stands with nets, at which a child can throw or bat a ball, or the like, and thus keep the ball retained within his playing area. There are also portable basketball goals available, such as shown in Brumfield, U.S. Pat. No. 3,025,058. May of these devices, however, are usually constructed for a particular, single sports activity, e.g. baseball or basketball, and when a child is interested in practicing or developing his skills in several sports activities over a period of time, or even in a short span, several such individual devices have to be available to him, and carried into place, which is burdensome and difficult, especially if the child is relatively young. Storage and expense are also problems. Some multiple sports devices have been proposed, but they often involve separate, changeable parts which are easily lost when not in use, or some multiple sports apparatus devices have been proposed, which are limited in their utility, or are complicated to use, or have some other disadvantageous feature. Examples of multiple use devices are shown, for example in Broussard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,394; and Saytar, U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,380.
The availability of an easily-handled, easily-assembled, easily adjusted, multiple sports apparatus is an important factor in stimulating the development of the child's interest and skill in sports, or in more than one sport. It is important that sports apparatus of this character be capable of being constructed of relatively inexpensive materials, so that it can be made readily available to the average family. These needs have not been satisfied by apparatus which has been proposed to date. There is, therefore, a continuing need for a multi-purpose device that is readily convertible, which can be easily used when desired for various sports activities which are beneficial to developing skills and coordination in the growing child, which can be used both outdoors and indoors, which is of a relatively inexpensive construction, and which can be easily assembled, handled and adjusted.
It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide an improved multi-purpose sports apparatus for use by children.
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of the character indicated which is convertible for use with balls associated with different sports.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide sports apparatus for use by children which is of inexpensive construction, is readily portable, can be used for multiple purposes in the sports area, and can be used both outdoors and indoors.
It is another object of the invention to provide a multi-purpose, convertible sports apparatus of the nature specified which is easily assembled, handled and adjusted.